Chapter 28 Stephanie's POV (Saturday, October 15th)

"Wow, Stephanie, you did a great job keeping up today. We pushed it to six miles."

I bend over slightly, catching my breath. "I thought we ran a little further. That was sneaky of you." I respond while trying to breathe. "How is it that you are barely winded?"

"It'll take time. You'll get there. You haven't been running that long. Don't get down on yourself. You are doing much better than you did in Trenton. Plus, you can walk up six flights without a problem."

I take the towel we keep on the patio chair and wipe the sweat off my neck and under my boobs. I glance at the pool and decide a quick dip is warranted. I toe off my sneakers and peel off my socks before diving in, enjoying the feel of the cool water. It's eighty degrees this morning, and I love being able to swim in October.

A moment later, I hear two more splashes as Carlos and Champ jump into the pool to join me. Carlos quickly swims to me, wrapping me in his arms. We share a kiss before Champ tries to break us apart. Laughing, we move towards the shallow end to comfortably stand while mainly remaining submerged.

"This is one thing I'm going to miss about Miami. Swimming in October, running on the beach."

"Yes, Babe, we can't do this in Trenton," Carlos said. "Are you sure you're okay moving back to New Jersey?"

"To be honest, I'm not, but I also know that Julie needs a change. I understand what it's like to be ostracized, to be abandoned by those who you thought were your friends. We may get there, but she decides she would rather be here. Who knows. But, either way, as long as you are by my side, I can face my demons in Trenton."

"You're scheduled to test in a few weeks. How do you feel about them? You know you don't need to take them."

I sigh, knowing I can be honest with the man across from me. "Terrified. I know that I don't need to test according to you, Les, Bobby, and Tank. Still, if I want to gain the respect of the Boston, Atlanta, and Miami workers, I need to prove that I can do everything they can. I need to do this for me, too. So many have heard the stories of my crazy captures that I'm not sure many trust me to have their back. Passing the tests will give me that street cred."

"Why are you terrified?"

"I'm afraid I won't pass. I'm afraid I'll fall short, embarrassing not only myself but you as well. I mean, you named me as part of the Core Team. I don't believe I'm bringing anything new to the table, so at minimum, I must pass Rangeman standards."

Carlos hugs me and holds me while responding, "Babe, from what Lester told me about your training, you are doing great. You will pass with flying colors. You are so resourceful and resilient. You think outside the box. Those skills will help you. Don't sell yourself short."

"I'm worried about facing you on the mats," I say as Carlos cringes. "No, please, hear me out. I know you won't hurt me intentionally. I know that you also won't go easy on me. I am fully aware that you will be giving it your all. I'm worried that even if I manage to get you pinned and beat you, some people will still think that you went easy on me. It's a no-win situation. If I lose, they will say I'm not fit, I don't belong, and I'm only here because I'm sleeping with the boss. If I win, they will say you let me win, that if I faced anyone else, I would lose, yada yada yada."

"Babe, men always accuse me of going soft against the others when they win. I'm used to it. And those who respect you and respect the Core Team will know that we didn't make you a member of the Core Team because you share my bed. Several men have tried to use nepotism to hire someone; they were gone if they didn't pass the standards. I am confident that you will prevail and that ninety-five percent of the men here will give you their respect. You will never have one hundred percent. That's the nature of the beast, but you will secure your place here, within Rangeman."

We begin to swim towards the stairs and climb out of the pool. As I reach for my towel, my cell phone starts to ring. Glancing at the caller ID, I see Grandma Mazur.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Steph. How are you doing? Are you getting enough lovin' from that stud of yours?"

"Hi, Grandma. I'm good. We're good. What about you?"

"I'm grand. Boy, do I have a doozie of a story for you!" I hear Grandma say, along with the shifting of her teeth.

"What? What happened?"

"Is your man with you?"

"Yes," I say, observing Hector and Lester come out on the patio to warm up for their run. "Lester and Hector are here too."

"Then put me on speakerphone. They will all get a kick outta what I'm gonna say."

I quickly put the phone on speaker and motioned for them to come around the cell phone. "Grandma, you're on speaker, and everyone is here."

"Howdy. I hope you are ready for a good laugh."

"Hi, Mrs. Mazur. You know I'm always ready for a good laugh," Lester says.

"Your mother and Valerie just returned from a quick little trip to Miami."

"So they took Rita's bait. I knew we were right to be upfront with Judge Pena," Ranger said.

"Oh, so you knew beforehand. This is even better than. Anyway, they are both raging angry. They keep saying that Rita set them up to look like fools, that she was a no-good gossip. She swore that she had enough information and an "in" with the Judge for him to deny you, Steph, and Julie's guardianship and that you would be returning to the Burg with them. They even purchased a ticket for you."

"Is that all they said?" I ask.

"Oh, no. It gets better. Apparently, the judge knew they would be there, at least Rita. He basically gave Rita a good talkin' to and then turned on your mother. He told her he was aware of her stay in the looney bin and that, get this, Valerie was the one who cheated on Steven. They were both embarrassed. To top it off, they discovered that Judge Pena made you Julie's mother."

I can't help the huge smile. I would have loved to see my incubator and her perfect spawn's face when Judge Pena ripped into them.

"Your mother has been lecturing Valerie on how she should learn to close her legs and make sure not to step out on Albert, as he is her last chance at being a proper Burg wife and mother. She is appalled that Valerie would dishonor her husband like that. Then, Valerie blurted out that the girls weren't Steven's and belonged to someone else, the same man, but not her husband. I have never seen your mother run to her iced tea so fast."

I'm shocked at the last revelation. However, it does make sense. I mean, Steven doesn't support the two girls at all. I found it odd that he wouldn't send them child support, birthday, or Christmas gifts. Still, after learning about Valerie's indiscretions, it makes perfect sense.

"Edna, did your daughter say anything about Stephanie?" Carlos asks.

"No, not a thing. I know Ellen is still trying to procure a Burg man for Stephanie, and if and when Steph returns to Trenton, she will work to get Steph settled down. She has no idea that you are engaged, and Frank and I have no intention of enlightening her."

"How's Dad? Does he know about Val and Mom?"

I hear a sigh on the other end of the phone. "Not yet. Frank's going to drive me to the Clip and Curl. I'll tell him then."

"Other than that, is everything okay?"

"Yes, don't you worry. Everything is fine here. Your father and I are keeping our eyes on Angie and Mary Alice. Work on getting yourself better and getting custody of Tommy. I'll keep your mother in check here."

"Okay, Grandma. Remember, if you need anything."

"I'll go to Bobby or Tank at Rangeman. Yes, sweetie, I know."

We say a quick goodbye and hang up.

"Wow, I wish I was a fly on the wall to see my mother and sister's reactions when the judge called them out."

"I have tape. You can see," Hector says.

"You do? How?"

"We supply backup security for the courthouse. Usually, we only monitor after hours, but it seems whoever is in charge of Judge Pena's courtroom forgot to shut off the camera that morning," Ranger said.

I smile, shaking my head.

"Julie and Tommy are awake. Mariela is with them. We better get started on our run if we want to be to work on time," Lester said.

Lester and Hector took off down the beach while Ranger and I walked into the kitchen. We greet the kids and head to our room to prepare for the day.